# Humidor Humidity Issue - Help



## rockethead26 (Mar 31, 2016)

OK, so after researching and reading everything I can, I'm at a loss, confused and need some insight.

I live at 7000 ft (I'm not sure that matters, but I'm putting it out there) and have a 50 cigar cedar humidor that I've had for 2 years. I keep about 20-30 cigars in it. For the last 18 months I've been using 75% Boveda packs (2) that kept the humidor at about 68-70% on the analog gauge that's on the front of the humidor that I calibrated with salt after seasoning the box when new.

Over the last couple of months (winter), I cannot seem to get the humidity over 60%. I even put three new Boveda 75% packs in a couple of weeks ago and still cannot get the gauge to budge from 60%. I bought two DryMistat tubes and put one of them in with my three Boveda packs and the humidity still reads 60%. Come on!

So, I buy a new digital Hygroset II hygrometer to see if my old analog gauge has just gotten tired. 

I put the new Hygroset into a zip lock with wet salt and after 36 hours the gauge is pegged on 63%. These gauges are supposed to be pretty close from the factory and I expected to see close to 75%. Without resetting the Hygroset, I put it into my humidor, put a ream of copy paper on top to help the seal and after 24 hours, my analog gauge still reads reads 60% and the new digital reads 63%.

I have no idea what my humidity level is in the box. Are both gauges that far off? Is my humidity that low? Is my humidor leaking that badly? Have I lost my mind?

What should I do next? I am at a loss.

Thanks for any suggestions.


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

If you have any NEW boveda packs ,use them to calibrate your hygrometer. Salt is unreliable if you aren't practiced at it. If you have a sealable glass container, I'd go with that instead of zip lock. It's the easiest fix so I'd start there.


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## rockethead26 (Mar 31, 2016)

UBC03 said:


> If you have any NEW boveda packs ,use them to calibrate your hygrometer. Salt is unreliable if you aren't practiced at it. If you have a sealable glass container, I'd go with that instead of zip lock. It's the easiest fix so I'd start there.


I do have new Boveda packs and I will try that right now. Thanks.


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## rockethead26 (Mar 31, 2016)

It took about 3 hours for the hygrometer in the ball jar with one Boveda pack to hit 74%.

It's the humidor.

I assume that my humidor needs to be re-seasoned which I just did. I'll return the sticks and the new hygrometer to the humidor tomorrow night after it sits with its fresh coat of distilled water for 24 hours.

The cigars are in a ziplock with two of the Boveda packs during the wait.

I guess the low humidity here at 7000 feet in Arizona finally dried out the box. I guess I need to do this annually. I never even thought about that before.


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## WinsorHumidors (Feb 16, 2016)

rockethead26 said:


> I assume that my humidor needs to be re-seasoned which I just did. I'll return the sticks and the new hygrometer to the humidor tomorrow night after it sits with its fresh coat of distilled water for 24 hours.


Just to be clear ... do you believe that coating your humidor with distilled water and letting it set for 24 hours an appropriate seasoning process?

C. T. Blankenship


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## rockethead26 (Mar 31, 2016)

WinsorHumidors said:


> Just to be clear ... do you believe that coating your humidor with distilled water and letting it set for 24 hours an appropriate seasoning process?
> 
> C. T. Blankenship


Thanks for your response!

I did assume that it would be good for a re-seasoning. I added a 75% Boveda pack as well.

Should I do the whole wet sponge thing again for a week or two?


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

There's a process by which you can get whatever RH you desire even if you live in the Sahara desert. ..to continue the process/road you're on is self defeating. ..you're applying different seasoning processes concurrently which is going to cause more problems. If you want to solve your issue PM me.


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## Dual-500 (Feb 20, 2012)

I don't have any experience at that altitude, but am left wondering if the door seal on your humidor is good.


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## rockethead26 (Mar 31, 2016)

Dual-500 said:


> I don't have any experience at that altitude, but am left wondering if the door seal on your humidor is good.


I'm thinking the same thing. The humidor is already back down to 62% this morning after the temporary climb to 90% after the treatment late last night.


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## WinsorHumidors (Feb 16, 2016)

I'd like to know what @Cigary advised ...

In any event, it seems possible that the humidor's lid is compromised.

Here is what I would do, toss in four 84% Rh Boveda seasoning packets and wait two weeks.

After two weeks, toss in four 72% Boveda packets and your cigars. Keep an eye on the humidity level. If it falls to the previous level over the next couple of weeks then buy a new humidor. But, get a good one. At your level of atmospheric humidity buy one that has the outer and inner box construction separate. That way you know the humidor is not losing humidity through the walls themselves.

C. T. Blankenship
Winsor Humidors


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## rockethead26 (Mar 31, 2016)

C.T.

I'll PM you on what @Cigary advised.

My humidor only has the inner/outer box construction on the lid. The lower box has only the single box construction. That would be my guess as to the issue. It seemed to work fine for over a year and then failure set in.

I'll try re-seasoning for a couple of weeks and then replace if necessary.

Thanks for your assistance.

Jim



WinsorHumidors said:


> I'd like to know what @*Cigary* advised ...
> 
> In any event, it seems possible that the humidor's lid is compromised.
> 
> ...


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## rockethead26 (Mar 31, 2016)

Well, the problem is solved. After realizing that a $39 humidor will never be right, I just ordered a 150 cigar capacity Medium Andromeda (#16-2003) from Ed at Waxing Moon Humidors. It was an in-stock model, I liked the design and it came with the trays and crumb catcher.

Seems like you need to spend to get quality. What's new, right? Ed is the only builder that seems to design a decent seal. Even boxes costing two or three times as much do not look as well designed. I was looking at his smaller, 100 count in-stock models, but the wood wasn't as pretty. Functional, but not pretty.

My 30+ cigar collection will be able to swim around in there. My cost per stick just went up by $17 each! I guess I'll just have to buy some more premium cigars to bring that number down.;-)

I considered tupperware and coolers, but just didn't want to go there. Just spent $2700 on a new espresso machine, so this is peanuts, I guess.

I will felt line the old humidor and my wife will use it as a jewelry box.

Whew, I feel better now.


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## WinsorHumidors (Feb 16, 2016)

@rockethead26

Really?

>> Ed is the only builder that seems to design a decent seal.


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

WinsorHumidors said:


> @rockethead26
> 
> Really?


Kinda did a head shake myself.


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## WinsorHumidors (Feb 16, 2016)

Yeah guys, I build them because I love them ... not because I'm making any money on them. The profits from one humidor simply feeds the raw materials to build the next.

I will tell you my greatest fear when manufacturing one of these ... the hinges, quadrants especially.

I was most impressed with Michael Dixon Humidors. The man has laser guided mortising for Christ's sake. Beating that is impossible, beating the Chinese after him is even more impossible! He, as well as I, use an inner/outer box design, unfortunately he uses MDF ... I use 13-ply Baltic birch plywood ... much better ... much more expensive ... terrible for profits.

I love creating creatures in the veneer on the lids of my humidors. Buy them or not ... I don't care ... when I find that face ... I feel as if I've freed a being from the wood from which it was bound. When I find the perfect piece of redwood veneer and the top looks as if it is a topographical map ... THAT makes my day! Finding another face in a sheet of amboyna ... another great day.

One can only stare into a computer monitor for so long until he realizes every program he creates for a company will die ... leaving nothing behind to witness he ever existed.

C. T. Blankenship

http://www.michaeldixonhumidors.com/videos.htm


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## rockethead26 (Mar 31, 2016)

OK, so I jumped the gun a little. In all my searches, C.T., your humidors never came up, nor did Michael Dixon's. Not sure why I didn't come across them, but I didn't and I'm an impulsive kind of guy. Waxing Moon's products are mentioned a lot and in spite of some issues in 2012, he seems to make and deliver excellent humidors and he is (was) a member here. I saw a lot of Chinese stuff like I own and some $500 stuff without any better design and then some $1000+ stuff that still didn't look any better. My comment in my previous post was uninformed.

I'm also not a woodworker, C.T., so your drawing means nothing to me. I just see a lot of measurements. I visited your website and it looks like you make some first class designs. I'm sorry I didn't think to do that sooner.

I'll see what I get and if I'm unhappy, I'll return it and start again.


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

I in no way mean this to be rude, but to point out the obvious. His screen name WinsorHumidors, his website WinsorHumidors. Com, twitter you guessed it @WinsorHumidors. But at least you bought from a seller on the forum and from America. Good job bro. Congrats on your new box. Treat it right. .DON'T WIPE OUT DOWN to season it.


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## rockethead26 (Mar 31, 2016)

UBC03 said:


> I in no way mean this to be rude, but to point out the obvious. His screen name WinsorHumidors, his website WinsorHumidors. Com, twitter you guessed it @*WinsorHumidors*. But at least you bought from a seller on the forum and from America. Good job bro. Congrats on your new box. Treat it right. .DON'T WIPE OUT DOWN to season it.


Yes, I know, I did a forehead slap. But, aside from the obvious, after I did visit his site, most of the recent work images showed closed boxes with no internal shots. All I see are pretty boxes, not how well they are engineered on the inside. There are a few interior shots on the main page, but only of the lower box, not the lid. So, if I was looking for the box within a box construction as was suggested by C.T., I can only see that on the bottom of the box and have no idea how the lids are constructed. I would not have seen what I was looking for and I would have passed it by anyway.

Perhaps I'll take this opportunity to make a suggestion to C.T. to put some more sample images up and more design info on his site to better explain why his humidors are superior to the vast majority out there. It may help future visitors make a wise decision.

Anyway, I appreciate your suggestion to not wipe the box down when I get it. I'll use the 84% Boveda packs as previously suggested.


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## WinsorHumidors (Feb 16, 2016)

Whoa ... whoa ...whoooooo ... let's put the brakes on a bit.

I simply do not know where to start.

Yes, I build humidors ... but I'd throw all of that away if my friends here began to believe that was my only purpose as a Friendly Puffer. 

I saw the post of a one and only seal and pulled the trigger ... a knee jerk reaction ... for that I apologize. I've referenced other manufacturers every time I get the chance such as Ammodors and Michael Dixon. I take my position here to be that of one who offers information, not as a purveyor of the one and only humidor. 

It was here that I learned of Waxing Moon ... also a fabulous builder of humidors. I've reviewed his work and,without holding one in my hand, found it to be wonderful.

So, guys/gals, take your pick, Tupperdors, Coolidors, Winadors, Cabinet Grade Humidors (did you SEE that humidor built by a Puffer's freind? Whooohooo), Desktop humidors (custom or Chinese)... I'm simply humbled to be in the mix with you guys/gals.

Peace and grace,

C. T. Blankenship


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## WinsorHumidors (Feb 16, 2016)

Not sure this is the correct place to put images such as this ... but ... I can tell you that the Padrons did not last more than a week !!!


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## rockethead26 (Mar 31, 2016)

Beautiful, C.T.!!!


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## C.Rock (Jul 3, 2015)

Ed at Waxing Moon did a nice job for me.
















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Cowcatcher (Mar 19, 2016)

WinsorHumidors said:


> @rockethead26
> 
> Really?
> 
> >> Ed is the only builder that seems to design a decent seal.


Out of curiosity, what other types of wood can be used to build a humidor.

I'm no wood worker and don't know the ABCs of wood. I'm from India and all my cigar accessories are shipped in from the US at a cost. I currently have a 100 ct Spanish Cedar humidor and a winedor. I have never ever thought of commissioning one to build by any carpenter in India, because they do not have the know-how nor will they understand the reason for it.


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## rockethead26 (Mar 31, 2016)

Cowcatcher said:


> Out of curiosity, what other types of wood can be used to build a humidor.
> 
> I'm no wood worker and don't know the ABCs of wood. I'm from India and all my cigar accessories are shipped in from the US at a cost. I currently have a 100 ct Spanish Cedar humidor and a winedor. I have never ever thought of commissioning one to build by any carpenter in India, because they do not have the know-how nor will they understand the reason for it.


From what I gather so far (I'm pretty new to this) is that the exterior of the humidor, the structural part, can be made of any 3/4" hardwood and so can be artistic and beautiful. The box within the box on the best humidors is made of 1/4" Spanish Cedar and should be designed into the lid and bottom with a sealing edge on both. The secret is designing the box to tight tolerances so the humidity is properly held by the cedar and doesn't leak out.

Hope that helps.


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## WinsorHumidors (Feb 16, 2016)

The outer box can also be built from any good hardwood ... padauk, wenge, walnut, oak, zebra wood, African cherry, cherry (pain in the ass to stain), ambrosia maple, curly maple, everything BUT Spanish cedar ... which is what the Chinese use almost extensively ... as well as the plywood mentioned above.

That Waxing Moon humidor is gorgeous.

I think after doing some research I'm going to put granite in the bottom of mine ... just to see how it goes.

C. T. Blankenship

PS ... check out Vanderburg Humidors ... more importantly check out the price of the Vanderburg Humidors ... ha ... yea right!


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## rockethead26 (Mar 31, 2016)

WinsorHumidors said:


> The outer box can also be built from any good hardwood ... padauk, wenge, walnut, oak, zebra wood, African cherry, cherry (pain in the ass to stain), ambrosia maple, curly maple, everything BUT Spanish cedar ... which is what the Chinese use almost extensively ... as well as the plywood mentioned above.
> 
> That Waxing Moon humidor is gorgeous.
> 
> ...


Granite is an interesting idea, certainly not very porous.

Yeah, Vandenburgh is rather proud of his work.


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